Herbal soups have been used in many cultures throughout generations to prevent and treat diseases. In China for example, many soups tend to be mild in nature and easily absorbed and digested. Around the world, families revere and swear by their traditional recipes, and pass them along through the ages. 

Popular soups include Tom Yum soup with lemongrass, ginger and chili in Thailand; chicken noodle soup (aka Jewish penicillin); caldo de pollo, chicken soup with cilantro: Chinese chicken scallion soup; avgolemono soup in Greece and so on!

Soup is especially useful this time of year when we need all the cold-fighting, immune-boosting and energy-producing nutrients we can get. These magic medicinals are powerful enough to help rebalance the body from within without putting stress on the liver.

For an easy fix, visit a local Chinese market for soup kits with formulated flowers, root barks, fruits and seeds and other plants that you simply cook in water or broth. There are many Chinese recipes used for varying ailments, to improve health and well-being and to strengthen the immune system. Keep in mind, as my Chinese traditional medicine teacher would say, some of these recipes are “not so yummy” for American tastes while others are delicious.

Fight a cold or the flu

Let’s start with a basic recipe we all know, chicken soup, and why specific ingredients are helpful when you’re under the weather. Chicken is warm, sweet and strengthens the spleen and stomach. If you’re a vegetarian, substitute the chicken with mushrooms.

Chicken Scallion Soup

1. Always boil your chicken first then drain the water to remove any blood fragments and improve taste.
2. Place 600 grams of chicken in a pot with water just covering the chicken. 
3. Add 2 to 3 scallions with the white roots attached as they help alleviate flu symptoms like chills.
4. Add 20 grams of fresh ginger which is pungent and harmonizes digestion, breaks up phlegm and alleviates flu symptoms. 
5. Add garlic (optional) for its natural anti-fungal, -viral and -bacterial properties.

Bring to a boil then simmer for 40 to 60 minutes. One cup of this soup, two to three times a day, will improve mild cold symptoms like itchy eyes, mild sore throat, chills and low-grade fever.

Boost your energy and immune system

Try ginseng chicken soup, often referred to in China as Dang Gui or Angelica chicken soup. This recipe is excellent for long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome. Dang Gui is a blood tonic which also aids with gynecological issues and improves complexion.

Ginseng Chicken Soup

1. Cut up a whole chicken, boil it, then drain the water. Add fresh water to the pot.
2. Add two medium roots of American ginseng and/or 10 grams of Angelica bark known as Dang Gui.
3. Add 10 red dates.
4. Add 3 slices of ginger.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Combine and stew for at least 2 hours.

In the Chinese culture, American ginseng is considered precious. It is best for the immune system and lungs because it cools the body and nourishes the respiratory system. Korean red ginseng, on the other hand, is very hot and for centuries it has been used to boost sexual vitality. Be sure to not confuse the two!

If you’re fighting a cold or flu, try to avoid dairy, sugar, fried foods and wheat. Eat more soups, barley, mung beans, radishes and peppermint ginger teas — and remember to watch funny, feel-good movies and avoid the news!

Diane Sheppard is a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of traditional Chinese medicine with AcQPoint Wellness Center. She can be reached at (760) 345.2200. For more information, visit www.AcQPoint.com.

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